


Igniting the Spark

by SariahHime



Series: In Every Galaxy [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 12:06:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7438291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SariahHime/pseuds/SariahHime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keith knows Shiro isn't interested in him too. There's no way. But no matter how long he spends in the training room, Keith just can't seem to get the man off his mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Igniting the Spark

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this mess of fluffy Shiro worship while in the bath.

The training room was empty when Keith arrived. Honestly he wasn't surprised, it was never occupied at the hour he'd set aside for himself to train. As much as that was on purpose, to avoid people like the insufferable Lance, the small glint of hope that _someone_ had been there quickly dissipated when the lights flicked on automatically. He took in the cushioned mats, empty lockers, and idle equipment against the far wall before letting his shoulders droop with a tired sigh.

The doors slid shut behind him as he padded across the room on bare feet. He stepped into his sneakers for training and leaned against the wall by the lockers to stretch out his calves. He bent to touch his toes and could feel the strain of sore muscles up the backside of his legs. Today wasn't going to be fun.

Slipping on his fingerless gloves, he picked up two barbells to start his strength training in his arms. After a few repetitions, the buzz of the lights and whir of the air conditioning were making his mind wander to things, like that glimpse of Shiro he'd gotten in the showers the previous week.

He hadn't meant to see him dripping wet and covered in soap, but he had seen him none the less. His growing fascination with their tall and well-built leader was no new thing for Keith. He was well aware his feelings were a hair past friendship.

Suddenly the memory of Shiro singing in the shower, turning abruptly when he'd heard a noise, then blushing like crazy at the sight of Keith standing dumbstruck in the doorway made him drop a barbell. He jumped back with a small gasp, silently thanking whatever entity watched over that part of the galaxy that it hadn't landed on his foot.

With an annoyed sigh he pulled headphones and his music player out of his bag. Shoving the headphones over his ears, he rolled his eyes at the song that started playing. Lance had apparently downloaded the entire soundtrack to The Lion King and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was blaring into his skull. He made a mental note to never let that idiot use his music player again.

He set the barbells back and moved on to combat training. The robot for their training easily complied to his voice commands and he began to get lost in his movements. The constant need to think and move in order to dodge and attack, coupled with the rock music in his headphones was exactly what he needed to keep his thoughts from wandering into dangerous, naked territory.

He knew Shiro didn't feel anything for him beyond friendship. They'd known each other a few years and when Shiro had disappeared, then magically reappeared, it was like nothing had changed for them. The few sparks of emotions Keith had started to develop before the ill-fated Kerberos mission, slowly dwindled over the year Shiro was missing.

It wasn't until he'd busted into a suspicious building, following his instincts, that the sparks roared back to life. His favorite person was alive. Albeit he looked a little different, but Keith wasn't going to complain since he couldn't say the changes were bad. If anything Shiro looked even hotter than before he'd been taken.

The training robot sped up on its own accord, taking Keith by surprise. A roundhouse kick caught him in the stomach, sending him rolling back into the mat. Confused, he ripped off his headphones.

"Stop!" Keith shouted into the room.

The training robot immediately complied and went to sleep. Keith looked around and nearly blanched to see the object of his affections casually leaning against the front door. He had a small smile on his face, arms crossed over his toned chest.

"Shiro?" Keith stumbled to his feet, hoping his face wasn't as flushed as it felt. Hopefully Shiro would assume it was from exercise and not because he'd been thinking about him.

"Sorry about that," Shiro said gently as he strode toward him. "I didn't expect you to go down that easily."

Keith was frozen in place as Shiro got closer. He was sweaty and thirsty and Shiro's presence wasn't helping that at all. He stopped at Keith's bag and bent over to rummage inside then pulled out a red towel. He tossed it to Keith.

"Thanks," he said. "A-and don't worry about it. I was just distracted."

"Oh?" Shiro said with a smirk. "Maybe you've worked with the training bot too much. It seems you know it's movements so well you can zone out."

Keith wiped the sweat from his face and neck, paying careful attention to keep his face hidden from Shiro as much as possible.

"I guess," he replied. He slung the towel over his shoulder. "It's time for a higher setting then."

Shiro hummed in thought a moment. He reached behind himself with one hand, then quickly tugged his shirt over his head. Keith had to do a double take.

"W-what are you doing?!" Keith asked and took a step back. As confused as he was, he was also trying to look anywhere but Shiro's bare chest.

His body was all muscle. Keith’s eyes unwillingly trailed over the hard planes of his stomach, up his broad chest, then down his one sculpted arm. The other was just as nice, but the scarring at the joint where the mechanical arm started made Keith's stomach turn. He couldn’t even imagine the pain Shiro had gone through.

"Something wrong?" Shiro asked after a moment. He'd noticed Keith's wandering eyes. "I was going to suggest we spar."

"No!" Keith shouted suddenly. Shiro gave him a confused look. "Wait, I mean...not no to sparring...just, no...nothing's wrong."

Shiro raised a quizzical brow but decided to ignore it in favor of dropping into a defensive stance. Keith shook his head then quickly discarded the towel, dropping into an opposing stance to Shiro.

"Come at me," Shiro goaded. "I can take you."

Keith tried really hard not to imagine Shiro saying that in a very different situation. Like his bed, or the showers. Or on the floor with Shiro underneath him.

Keith took a deep, steadying breath then lunged at his friend. He didn't want to hurt Shiro but he had a feeling what Shiro had said was very true. He could take him. He was a lot taller and larger than Keith, after all.

Shiro caught his right hook, twisted his arm behind him, then sent him reeling back the way he came. Keith stumbled to a halt and looked back over his shoulder.

Shiro was smirking.

Something burned deep in Keith's stomach and at that moment he couldn't figure out if it was attraction or the desire to rise to a challenge. Either way, he wanted to be back in Shiro's space again trading blows.

As soon as he turned he expected Shiro to come running at him, but he didn't. He stood in the same place and waited patiently.

Keith took the moment to reassess his opponent. Shiro kept his arms close to his body, but bent and ready to move at a moment's notice. His legs were shoulder width apart and bent at the knees. There were no openings for Keith to take advantage of.

He almost grunted in annoyance but then he noticed something odd. A twitch in Shiro's right arm. His mechanical hand was closer to his body than his real arm was, and the odd placement made Keith's brow furrow. Why would he baby that arm? It was clearly the strongest of his limbs.

Instead of trying to figure it out, Keith decided to exploit it. He looked to his right, a feint, then took a step in that direction.

Shiro fell for it, he reached out with his left hand, ready to stop him, when Keith turned his body and whirled the other direction.

Shiro tried to readjust but Keith was faster. He brought up his leg out of the turn and caught Shiro firmly in the hip. His mechanical arm managed to grasp at his pant leg but it was too late. Keith had landed a blow.

Shiro fell to his knees, hand still gripping on to Keith's pants. The drastic change from Shiro's standing height to his kneeling height threw Keith off balance. He couldn't pull back his leg from that strong grip and so he was sent falling forward.

He braced his hands on Shiro's shoulders as they fell back into the mat. Of course Keith just had to land in Shiro's lap, straddling his hips. If it wasn't for his hands bracing himself on impossibly toned shoulders he would've head butted the man underneath him.

They froze that way, with Shiro's back on the mat and Keith panting heavily on top of him. They were very close and Keith was still way too turned on from their short spar. His heart kicked into overdrive when he realized Shiro could tell just how turned on he was.

"O-oh..." Shiro said. He broke off his sentence, face flushing heavily.

Keith immediately sat up straight. Which was a terrible idea. It only made his erection more visible to Shiro.

Shiro's eyes shyly glanced down to Keith's hips then back up again. Without another word, Keith rolled off of him. He quickly grabbed his bag, stuffing the abandoned red towel inside. He almost made it to the door when Shiro called out to him.

"Wait, Keith!" Shiro shouted. Keith reluctantly looked back. Shiro was still sitting in the floor, looking like a beautiful sweaty mess.

Keith turned back and Shiro quickly ran to him. He refused to look up at Shiro.

"Look, I'm sorry okay? It's just something that happens when I train so--" Keith started to explain in a mumbled voice but Shiro’s hand on his arm made him stop talking.

"Was it really?" Shiro asked quietly.

Keith looked up, confused. "What?"

"Y'know..." Shiro motioned with his eyes to Keith's still raging hard on. "Was it really just the training?"

Keith blushed a million shades darker. "I-I mean...mostly. Well, sorta? I guess you're like..." Keith trailed off and then huffed in annoyance. "You're attractive, okay? I'm sorry!"

Shiro smiled. "Why would you be sorry for that?"

"I don't know." Keith tugged his arm away. "Because you're my best friend and you would never think of me like that. Because I don't wanna ruin what he have...or something."

Keith didn't have time to run away again or even blink before two strong arms were enveloping him. The smell of sweat and Shiro hit him like a ton of bricks as he was pulled into a bruising hug.

Keith swallowed heavily and dropped his bag to the ground. Shiro was hugging him. It wasn't their first hug but this one seemed much more intimate than all the others had. After all, Shiro's hands were roaming along his back, massaging into his shoulders and spine. Keith shivered into the touch.

"You never asked," Shiro breathed into his shoulder. "You just assumed and never asked."

"You mean..." Keith didn't dare finish the question. It was too impossible to consider in his mind.

Shiro laughed then pulled back far enough to look Keith in the face. "I like you, Keith."

The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop himself. "Wait. Like me? Or _like_ like me?"

Shiro smirked heavily, tugging Keith against his body. What Keith felt against his hip made his blood pressure sky rocket. He buried his face into Shiro's bare chest, too embarrassed to respond.

"Does that answer your question?" Shiro nuzzled his hair.

Keith nodded dumbly.

They stood there for a few moments, enjoying the feel of the other so close after so long. Neither seemed to mind the smell of sweat that clung to them, in fact for Keith it was oddly becoming his new favorite scent.

"Hey," Shiro whispered into Keith's hair finally. Keith wasn't sure why he was whispering but it made his voice so gentle and nice he decided to not question it.

"Hm?" Keith responded.

"Can..." Shiro asked shyly. "Can I kiss you?"

Keith's eyes flew open. His heart leapt into his throat and suddenly he was too hot. The simple request completely floored him. Of course Shiro would ask first. But Keith had secretly wished he would just do it. Take him by surprise.

The delayed response must have worried Shiro because he put Keith at arms length and was searching his face. Probably for signs that he was okay.

"I'm sorry," Shiro said. Keith could see a small pang of hurt creeping into his eyes. "Did I read the situation wrong? If you don't like--"

Keith grabbed the back of Shiro's head, not wanting to make him wait any longer. Keith guided Shiro forward until their lips met. It was a tender and soft kiss, like Keith was afraid of moving too far too fast.

Apparently Shiro didn't think it was fast enough because he pulled Keith back into his arms and held him close. Keith could definitely get used to Shiro's hugs.

Keith deepened the kiss as he teased his fingers through Shiro's short hair, then trailed them down his neck to rest on his shoulders. He felt Shiro's tongue brush against his bottom lip and then almost moaned into the kiss. He parted his lips and let Shiro take over.

Their height difference made it hard for Shiro since he had to hunch down to continue fervently making out with Keith. When Keith's hands trickled down to his biceps, Shiro walked them back slowly.

Keith didn't notice the movement, too engrossed in the taste of Shiro on his tongue, but as soon as his back hit the wall he broke away. Shiro was panting heavily, looming over him. Keith saw he was trapped with the wall at his back, Shiro in front of him, and two strong arms on either side of him. He swallowed thickly.

Shiro's dark brown eyes looked heavy, like he wanted nothing more than to close them and enjoy the moment. Honestly, the image was incredibly intoxicating for Keith. He bit his bottom lip and waited for Shiro to make the next move.

Just as he was leaning in for another kiss, the training room doors slid open. Keith stiffened and Shiro quickly stepped away from him. They heard laughter then Lance walked through the door, closely followed by Pidge and Hunk.

Pidge noticed them first. With a raised brow Pidge looked between Shiro and Keith, clearly suspicious. Hunk nearly ran into the smallest paladin, not having expected the sudden halt.

Lance turned when he realized, belatedly, that no one was listening to him anymore. He glanced at Pidge and Hunk, then followed their line of sight to the embarrassed pair against the wall.

"Well, well," Lance said with a confident air. "Looks like this room is taken."

Keith gave him an angry glare. "Yeah. It is. So if you don't mind, fuck off."

"Hey, now," Shiro interjected, stepping between them. "We can all share the room. It's the only one for training, after all."

Lance rolled his eyes. "I was just kidding."

Keith pouted, slightly upset Shiro hadn't also told Lance to fuck off. But he knew deep down Shiro would never say something like that. Keith was pretty sure there wasn't a mean bone in that man's body.

"Whatever," Keith muttered. He looked to Shiro, who was glancing nervously towards the door. One look between his legs told Keith why. Thankfully the other hadn't noticed yet. Yet being the keyword.

"We should hit the showers," Keith said to Shiro. He looked grateful for the excuse.

"Right," Shiro said. "I'll see you guys at breakfast."

Shiro picked up his shirt then followed Keith out the door. With that, they left the others behind.

As soon as they were in the hall, Shiro sighed heavily. Keith kept his eyes on the ground as they walked.

"That was close," Shiro laughed. "Pretty sure we were still caught though."

Keith groaned. "You mean what Lance said? He's too stupid to figure anything out."

Shiro gave him a stern look. "Be nice. But no, I meant Pidge. That was a knowing look if I've ever seen one."

Keith stopped suddenly. "You're okay with them knowing....?"

He didn't honestly know how to finish that sentence. They weren't a couple, no one had asked anyone out. All they'd done is kiss in the heat of the moment so he wasn't sure exactly what he was trying to say.

"Knowing we like each other?" Shiro finished for him. He shrugged, his bare chest gleaming under the harsh lights of the ship. "Does it bother you?"

Keith thought a moment. He really liked Shiro, and nothing could really get in the way of that. But the idea of Lance knowing and mocking him really made his blood boil.

"No, I...." Keith said. He bit his lip, suddenly nervous. "I just don't know...what we are."

"Oh," Shiro said, slightly surprised. "I guess I didn't exactly ask you yet."

"Yet?" Keith questioned.

Shiro blushed, the scar across his nose blending in with his red cheeks. He clutched his shirt awkwardly in his hands. Keith had never seen him look so visibly nervous and it made him smile slightly. He looked cute like this.

Without warning Keith reached out and grabbed Shiro's hand. The move made Shiro jump but when he realized what was happening, he smiled.

"Well," Keith said. "Go on then."

Shiro stepped closer. "Confident, are we?"

Keith laughed. "A little, yeah."

Shiro bent forward, cupping Keith's jaw with his free, mechanical hand. The cool metal felt wonderful against his flushed skin. Keith nuzzled into the touch, almost on instinct.

"Keith?" Shiro placed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"Yes?"

Another kiss.

"Will you go on a space date with me?"

Keith smiled into the next kiss.

"Only if you throw away all of your shirts."

A laugh then, "Deal."

 


End file.
